Like any other day, Don Quixote reads chivalric romance
from dawn to dusk. Then he drifts away to the realm of dreams. In his dreams,
he encounters a beauteous lady named Dulcinea, but she is kidnapped by
monstrous creatures. Upon awakening from his slumber, Don Quixote finally
withdraws from his library and dons himself as a knight errant. With Sancho
Panza as his squire, Don Quixote sets out in search of Dulcinea and chivalrous
adventure
All of Barcelona is burning with an
expectation of seeing bullfights and famed toreadors. While many are peacocking
in the square, none can match the innkeeper’s daughter Kitri’s beauty, perhaps
except for a barber named Basilio. Like a cat-and-mouse game, they seduce and
tease each other. It’s evident to anybody with eyes that they are meant to be
together. However, Kitri’s father, Lorenzo, vehemently disapproves of their
relationship. He wants Kitri to marry Gamache, a foppish nobleman with a deep
pocket. Meanwhile, Don Quixote and Sancho Panza reach Barcelona. Spellbound by
Kitri’s beauty, Don Quixote confuses her for Dulcinea. But soon, he sees a
vision of Dulcinea and realizes that Kitri is not her. Nevertheless, Don
Quixote believes that Kitri, who looks like she leaped out of the pages of
chivalric romance, deserves a happy ending. Therefore, Don Quixote decides to
shield Kitri from any adversity. Taking advantage of the merrymaking in the
square, Kitri and Basilio elope.
Kitri and Basilio find themselves in a
forest. Don Quixote follows the lovers and makes a vow that he will protect
their love. A traveling troupe of players reaches the forest and is delighted
to discover a potential audience. Don Quixote, Sancho Panza, and the lovers end
up seeing their play. It’s a story after Don Quixote’s heart—a tale of a
beautiful damsel in distress, a brave prince, and a frightening monster. But
this fiend looks precisely like the creature that kidnapped Dulcinea. In a
fury, Don Quixote charges with his spear. But alas, it was just a windmill.
Having smashed into a windmill, Don Quixote faints.
In Don Quixote’s dreams, the
forest is terrorized by flames and vicious creatures. Once Don Quixote defeats
the creatures, the firestorm vanishes, and Cupid appears. Cupid shoots an arrow
at Don Quixote’s heart, transforming him from an old hidalgo to a dashing
knight. Finally, Don Quixote reunites with Dulcinea in the enchanted forest,
and they rejoice. For Don Quixote, this is paradise, and Dulcinea is the
eternal sovereign of his heart. But Dulcinea instructs that time has come for
Don Quixote to return to his chivalric quests. Then everything fades away.
Don Quixote opens his eyes to
see that Sancho Panza, Kitri, and Basilio are by his side. While Don Quixote
wallows in sorrow from being parted from Dulcinea yet again, Gamache and
Lorenzo come to abduct Kitri. Seeing Basilio in the anguish of losing his
lover, Don Quixote instructs him on a scheme to persevere in this plight.
Wedding preparation is in full swing for Kitri
and Gamache. But never has the city seen such an unwilling bride. Basilio
barges in and shares his plan with Kitri in a whisper. With a dagger in his
hand, Basilio declares that he would choose death over unrequited love. Basilio
then pretends to stab himself. Rushing to her dying lover, Kitri implores her
father to fulfill Basilio’s last wish. Don Quixote silences Gamache and
Lorenzo’s objection and blesses the lovers. With the benediction complete,
Basilio makes a miraculous recovery. Lorenzo concedes that Kitri’s future is in
her own hands and that her happiness lies in staying with Basilio. The entire
town celebrates the lovers’ wedding.
And so, the valorous knight Don Quixote righted
the wrong. He made the young lovers’ dream a reality. For new dreams and deeds
of chivalry, Don Quixote sets out once more on his adventure.